Identical in form, physical prowess, stamina and mental capacity, each of the first generations of clone troopers was grown in the cloning facilities of Tipoca City, on the storm-drenched world of Kamino. Within the hermetic confines of the secret facility, the politically ambivalent Kaminoansapplied their mastery of genetic sciences to craft what they deemed the finest of clone armies.

Sideshow Collectibles, in an exclusive arrangement with Medicom Toy, chose to distribute 1000 exclusive pieces of the Clone Trooper Captain (Attack of The Clones Ver.) to American collectors. Erroneously showing up initially as a Clone Trooper Commander, Sideshow Collectibles later clarified that this would be the clone seen wearing the red color flashes in Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones. With a pretty good base buck to use and complementary armor to fit the body type nicely, it makes sense that Medicom Toy would take every opportunity possible to bring collector as many versions of the phase I Clone Trooper that appeared in the film. What makes it more difficult however is how Medicom Toy decides to release these figures. Exclusive figures are a neat concept, but not when it affects the availability for the collecting community, or when edition sizes are so small they there is no way they can meet demands. Thankfully, the Real Action Heroes Clone Trooper Captain (Attack of The Clones Ver.) has a solid number of pieces made so it should meet the demand of those who want it.

There really isn’t much new to report with this figure. You know about the standard all-white Clone Trooper (Attack Of The Clones Ver.) Medicom Toy took that figure and added red color flashes to denote it as a captain. What’s nice is that these clones were easily seen in Episode II. All clones: red, yellow, green and blue were seen in the film, but it was the captain and commander that shared more screen time in the forefront of the Battle of Geonosis than the sergeant and the lieutenant who we really could only see on Kamino. The Real Action Heroes buck is great for the armored figures. Some tweaking and enhancing would benefit the Clone Trooper Captain (Attack Of The Clones Ver.) figure. Sometimes the armored parts greatly inhibited full movement of the joints. This of course is expected here and there, but the area in the legs is greatly affected and truly limits how much motion you can get out of this figure. Sideshow Collectibles released their General Obi-Wan Kenobi (Jedi Master) figure at almost the same time as this figure and we have to say that we’re bigger fans of the hard plastic for the armor. Still, the softer vinyl isn’t the end of the world.

It goes without saying that clones are cash cows for licensees. They technically only have to create one dynamic sculpt or figure and then re-color certain parts to bring forth an all-new character. Completists love this sort of stuff, but sadly it comes across as boring for the more casual collectors. But no matter how many times they get colored differently, we still have to reiterate that the armor looks fantastic, the proportions are nearly perfect and the Real Action Heroes buck does the armored pieces justice. Included with the Clone Trooper Captain (Attack of The Clones Ver.) are the same standard accessories. You get an extra pair of interchangeable hands (Medicom Toy needs to find a better way to hide the obtrusive ball-jointed wrists), a DC-15 blaster and a display stand that breaks down into four separate pieces. You don’t get a plethora of hand attachments here (which is just fine with us), but you do get everything you need to display this figure effectively in your collection. We do have one bone of contention with the Clone Trooper Captain (Attack of The Clones Ver.) figure. And that is his paint job. While the color flashes are beautifully rendered, there aren’t any battle-damage markings. They are sorely lacking.

Collector Notes

Clone Trooper Captain (Attack Of The Clones Ver.)

Status: Clone Trooper Captain (Attack Of The Clones Ver.) is a rework of 2008's Clone Trooper (Attack Of The Clones Ver.) Real Action Heroes figure. It has now been given red color flashes to denote it as a captain.